Former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins lauds Diamondbacks for making it to World Series: "They finally showed up"

Arizona Diamondbacks managed to advance to the 2023 World Series after beating the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. The Diamondbacks made it to the Championship Series for the first time since 2007 after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.

Arizona last appeared and won the World Series over a decade ago, facing off against the New York Yankees in 2001. The NL underdogs are determined to win their second World Series pennant this year.

Bleacher Report shared a video on YouTube that featured Former Philly shortstop and 2008 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins praising the D-backs.

“They [Arizona Diamondbacks] finally showed up to play their style of baseball now," Rollins said. "Getting on base, pressing the other team, but more than anything something that they’ve done all postseason long, and that’s come up with a clutch."

He added:

“Big Two-Out hit, not letting a rally die with a runner get the scoring position - kept pushing. Congratulations to the Diamondbacks. They deserve it, they played better.”

The 44-year-old James “J-Roll” Rollins spent 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies in his 17-year major league career. The 2008 World Series Winnie is now a member of the “MLB on TBS”.

“Not only they get hits [but also] they stole four bases. They did a hit-and-run … Sack bunts and sack flies, things that we thought are a lost art in this game, all came into play tonight,” Curtis Granderson, 2011 Silver Slugger winner, commented on the show.

Arizona Diamondbacks will face the Texas Rangers on Friday at Globe Life Field. The 28-year-old ace Zac Gallen, with a 2-2 win record in this postseason, will start the first Game of the World Series for the D-backs.

Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 Postseason:

As the sixth-seed team, few experts picked the D-backs as the NL representative. However, they managed to advance to the NLDS by crushing the Brewers, a third seed, 2-0 in the Wild Card Series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, with 100+ regular-season game wins, were considered favorites to advance to the NLCS. But in a major upset, the D-backs swept them 3-0 in the NLDS.

The Philadelphia Phillies were determined to make amends after finishing second in the 2022 World Series. After Game 5, they had a 3-2 lead in the NLCS. The Phillies were one win away from winning the World Series when the D-backs came back in Game 6 to tie the game. Christian Walker's early lead and two RBIs by Corbin Carrol in Game 7 clinched Arizona's victory at Citizens Bank Park.